Tradition and modernity define the year to come

This newspaper chose, as its Briton of the Year for 2013, a youngster celebrating his initial Christmas – one however to make a mark on the globe, and unaware of his destiny. However Prince George, born in July, will 1 day – God ready – be King and head of state. He represents continuity in a time of alter, just as his forebears have carried out. Those of a republican disposition dislike the very notion that, in the 21st century, a youngster can be born to rule, nevertheless constrained by constitutional limits on his powers. To them, the monarchy appears antiquated – as certainly it is, almost by definition. And that is the stage: the politicians who are right now issuing their New Year messages come and go, leaving varying degrees of accomplishment or failure in their wake. The monarch and the Royal household remain with us, the personification of nationhood.

For numerous hundred many years, this country’s great strength has been to emphasise tradition while embracing modernity. For all its theoretical shortcomings, the program functions – which is why most folks do not want to dispense with it. So it is fairly extraordinary that we stand on the threshold of a yr in which the very existence of that nation is in jeopardy.

The received wisdom is that subsequent September’s referendum on Scottish independence will consequence in a No vote. Nevertheless Alex Salmond, the Scottish Nationwide Celebration leader, has a habit of turning misplaced triggers into triumphs. Undoubtedly, he should never ever be underestimated: it is noteworthy that, even in pursuit of separatism, he understands the relevance of continuity, since he wants to retain the Queen and her heirs as heads of state of an independent Scotland.

In generating their choice subsequent year, the Scots will be guided significantly less by sentimentality or background than a judgment of whether they will be better or worse off standing alone. To that finish, the economic recovery must operate against the SNP. Without a doubt, a latest report by the Centre for Economics and Enterprise Analysis (CEBR) predicted that in 15 years or so, Britain will overtake Germany to grow to be Europe’s greatest economic climate – but there nonetheless demands to be a Britain to do the overtaking.

As if the future of the Union had been not a huge enough problem to contend with, the CEBR forecast also raised a host of questions about yet another essential constitutional romantic relationship – that among Britain and the European Union. According to the believe-tank, the United kingdom rewards from its lack of publicity to the troubles of the eurozone, and may even do much better outside the EU altogether, even if severing the backlinks would be painful in the short term. Do we keep in or do we get out? This is the question that refuses to go away and the lifting of controls on workers from Bulgaria and Romania from tomorrow will make sure that it remains a divisive problem in 2014. Without a doubt, the Could elections to the European Parliament – which could nicely see Ukip topping the poll – could flip out to be a watershed minute in British politics.

Two other recurring themes that have dominated the previous 12 months will remain with us in the New Yr: the unaffordability of the welfare state as we have identified it given that the 2nd World War, and the developing potential for an power crisis. Both have been induced by political short-termism. As Philip Johnston argues beneath, changes to the way the NHS is funded and structured have been essential for years, as have advantage reforms, but have as well frequently been ducked. The very same has been accurate of energy policy, exactly where the issues triggered by a failure to strategy ahead have been exacerbated by the unrealistic and pricey pursuit of green targets that have left a single of the world’s significant economies vulnerable to energy shortages.

Nonetheless, at least one prolonged-phrase commitment is drawing to a near. By the finish of 2014, British fight troops will have left Afghanistan, right after an operation lasting 12 years at a value of 447 British lives. An additional of our Britons of the Yr was Lance Corporal James Ashworth, who in March was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. It is a reminder that, occasionally, the safety and continuity of the nation demand the greatest sacrifice – a theme that is certain to recur all through the coming yr as we commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the 1st Globe War.

Tradition and modernity define the year to come